Elon Musk’s Optimus Robot ‘Housekeeper’ Sparks Angry Racial Chatter in SA: “Nasty Business”

• A local online user opened a massive can of worms on Mzansi X when they made a brash remark with a racial edge
• @Keanubtc made a stark point from a short clip of SA-born tech billionaire Elon Musk's new Optimus bot creation
• The online community found a pungent racial connotation to the post, making as much known in the comments

After a vocal local opened a massive can of worms in typical Mzansi fashion, one of the latest furious debates, bordering on race, broke out online.

And it had everything to do with a certain South African-born entrepreneur, tech billionaire Elon Musk, or at least one of his latest inventions.

Bot sparks racial chatter in SA

Enter Optimus, a faceless bot known as an autonomous assistant and humanoid friend created by Tesla.

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In a several-second video posted to X, originally by Musk, @Keanubtc drove a point which sparked an immediate uproar for its apparent racial edge.

The accompanying caption read:

"Imagine having a housekeeper [who] doesn't vote ANC, doesn't have 55 uncle's funerals to attend every year, won't steal your food, and you only have to pay for it once? Sign me up."

Bold and frank in its own way, the unpopular opinion drove an immediate and inevitable wedge between the messenger and a tumultuous online community.

This was not before netizens took in the scenes in the ad in which the life-size machine is seen in a montage displaying its multiple uses.

Among others, it is seen collecting a parcel at the door and watering plants as a human family enjoys their time together.

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During an unveiling at his Tesla factory, Musk revealed that the invention could even — wait for it — babysit children.

The bots, priced between $28,000 and $30,000 (R490,000 and R530,000), will roll off the production line next year and be available on a wider scale in 2026.

Now, as the world enters wait mode, the attention turned to the racially charged post, which attracted a massive response, highlighted by its 10 million views.

Racial edge dismays community

Additionally, it had 3300 reposts, 3200 likes, and 2600 replies, as netizens made a beeline to "debate-ville" to furiously bash it.

Briefly News looks at the colourful commentary.

@FabAcademic slammed:

"Only in South Africa, our land, can such a small boy spit in the face of the very women who raised his entire family, scrubbed their filth, and kept their home together. Indeed, we have the best democracy in the world."

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@its_dunM wrote:

"Typing all this, yet you know your OP [original post] was clearly about black housekeepers, is nasty business."

@__nqoh said:

"Europeans living in Africa and being racist to Africans will not amaze me!"

@cummybunch added:

"Clean your own house, lazy *ss."

@truecanadian867 quizzed:

"Have you ever had a white housekeeper, though?"

Bakkie driver turns H1 into tin can

In another clash, Briefly News reported that a video showed a furious turn of events during a heated square-off between opposing sides.

A shocking clip of a reported incident in East London, Eastern Cape, shows a Toyota Hilux single cab smashing into a stationary Hyundai H-1 van.

"We are looking for the white [allegedly] racist owner of this white Hilux bakkie," @SiyaRumbu2 posted.

Source: Briefly News